


In the Waiting Room

by Fangirl_Forever



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-28 21:31:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17190689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirl_Forever/pseuds/Fangirl_Forever
Summary: Bilbo is the new parent to his baby nephew, Frodo, and needs help in the pediatrician's waiting room. Thorin is there to save him.





	In the Waiting Room

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a prompt I found on Google and my own experience as a single parent.   
> *I don't own these characters.

                Bilbo sighed tiredly as he once again offered the bottle of formula to his squalling nephew. The baby had been fussy all morning before leaving for his pediatrician’s appointment and then had been fine during the fifteen-minute ride, but had been crying on and off in the twenty minutes since they arrived and signed in. Now, that crying was steadily growing louder and turning into squalling and Bilbo knew soon it would be screaming. He was on the verge of tears himself as he tried and failed to comfort his nephew, trying everything he knew how to do. He shifted the baby to his other arm and held the bottle to his lips again, his constant shushing more for his own comfort than the baby’s at that point. As if the situation wasn’t bad enough for him, knowing the waiting room was full of other parents and adults who were just sitting and ignoring his struggle, or blatantly watching him struggle, made it all the worse. He sniffed and blinked back tears as Frodo turned his face away from the bottle again and then opened his tiny mouth to let out a very big scream.

                Bilbo was ready to scream himself and he turned to make a beeline for the door, wanting to get some form of privacy so he could cry a little himself, when suddenly a large hand landed on his shoulder. He flinched and spun around to see a man several inches taller than himself with long black hair holding up both his hands and smiling apologetically. Bilbo stared dumbly up at the man, the bottle in his hand forgotten, while Frodo kept crying, flailing his arms and kicking his legs now. The man gestured towards Frodo with his chin and quietly asked, “May I?”

                Bilbo instinctively stepped back and squeezed Frodo tighter, until he looked down and noticed two young boys standing behind the man, the bigger one a blonde and the smaller one a dark brunette. His logical mind told him the man was still a stranger even if he was there with children, but his emotional mind wanted a break so desperately that he held out his nephew for the man to take, which the man did with a kind smile. Frodo immediately stopped crying, surprised at suddenly being in a strange person’s arms. Bilbo watched, holding his breath, as Frodo and the man stared at each other for a moment. Then without warning, Frodo quickly reached up, grabbed a handful of the man’s long hair, and pulled on it. Bilbo’s hands flew up to his mouth as he gasped and began trying to apologize, only to stop a second later when the man grunted, then chuckled and moved Frodo so that he could play with his hair. Frodo immediately laid his head on the man’s shoulder, quiet and content to play with the man’s hair.

                Bilbo blinked multiple times and then quietly mumbled, “How?”

                The man laughed before responding, “Babies often like to play with hair. My nephews were the same way when they were little. Fili especially liked to chew on hair.” The blonde boy glared up at the man and the smaller boy giggled behind his hands. Both boys’ reaction made Bilbo laugh faintly, and he vaguely realized it was the first time he had really laughed in a week. The man shifted Frodo slightly and held out a free hand. “I’m Thorin. I’m sorry if I seemed overbearing, but you seemed to need help.”

                Bilbo looked at his hand for several seconds before he took it with his own. They shook hands for just a few seconds before Thorin took his hand back, then used it to gently lead Bilbo back to his chair. Bilbo let himself be led and sunk into his chair, exhaling heavily. He dropped the bottle into the diaper bag and leaned forward. He rested his elbows on his knees and dropped his head into his hands. He felt two small hands patting his shoulder and rubbing his arm and he lifted his head to find both boys looking at him with concerned faces. He tried to smile reassuringly but found he couldn’t manage more than a half smile. The boys returned it with their own semi-smiles before the blonde said, “I’m Fili and this is little brother Kili. That’s our uncle Thorin. He’s really good with babies.”

                Bilbo looked up at Thorin, who was still standing but was now slowly swaying in place while Frodo continued playing with his hair. Bilbo wiped his eyes and nose then murmured, “Yes, I can see that. I haven’t been able to get him to stop crying for more than a few minutes at a time all week.”

                Thorin nodded understandingly and asked, “Is he running a fever? Is that why you brought him to the doctor?”

                Bilbo’s breath hitched and he cleared his throat before answering. “Uh no, he, um, he’s not adjusting to the formula well and I’m hoping his doctor can help.”

                “Ah, your wife is ready to wean him, huh?” Thorin chuckled and patted Frodo’s back, but frowned when he noticed Bilbo’s face. “I’m sorry?” he offered uncertainly when Bilbo choked back a small sob.

                Bilbo waved his hand and shook his head. “Oh no, I’m sorry, it’s me, I’m just a mess today.” He cleared his throat several times then stood up and straightened his clothes. He stepped closer to Thorin, intending to take his nephew back, but when he saw how calm Frodo was, he decided to leave him be for a little longer. They both needed the peace. He settled on rubbing the baby’s back, right above where Thorin’s hand rested.

                After a quiet moment, broken only by Fili and Kili squabbling over Thorin’s phone, Thorin hesitantly asked, “Did something happen to your wife?”

                Bilbo shook his head, pressed his lips together for a couple seconds, and then said, “No, she wasn’t my wife, she was my cousin. She and her husband passed away two weeks ago. I officially adopted Frodo last week,” he explained, his voice quivering.

                Thorin looked down at him, sympathy all over his face, and he apologized for his assumption. “That’s a very big commitment, not many people would have taken that on.”

                Bilbo nodded in agreement. “Yes, well, it was in their will that if something ever happened to them, they wanted Frodo to live with me. At the time they changed their will, I never thought anything would happen to them, so I never thought it would matter. How wrong I was, huh?” Bilbo chuckled humorlessly and stroked Frodo’s hair gently. Bilbo’s eyes filled with tears again and he whispered, “You probably played with Prim’s hair like this, didn’t you, baby?”

Frodo of course didn’t answer, but above his small head, Thorin said, “He probably did. Most babies do.” Thorin unconsciously tilted his head to brush his bearded chin against the top of Frodo’s head. “You’ve been through a lot in such a short time. Forgive me if this is overstepping, but have you looked into counseling or parenting classes?”

Bilbo wiped his eyes and said, “I’ve been so busy since bringing him home, I’ve barely had time to remember to shower or eat. Frodo isn’t adjusting to the formula well, I’ve had to bring all my work home because it takes time to secure childcare, and my one bedroom apartment isn’t much space for both of us. On top of all that, I’ve never really wanted to be a parent.” Bilbo gasped, shocked at himself. He looked up at Thorin, horrified, and said, stammering, “Not that I’m, I’m not happy I agreed to do this, I am, really, I just, just wasn’t prepared and it’s all so, so much,” he trailed off as his breathing quickened and his eyes teared up again. Then Thorin was saving him again, this time taking his hand and pressing it to his own chest. Surprised, Bilbo’s gaze shot up to meet Thorin’s striking blue eyes.

“Breathe with me, sir, easy breaths, long, slow, breaths. That’s it,” Thorin murmured softly, absentmindedly stroking the back of Bilbo’s hand with his thumb. Bilbo swallowed several times and kept staring into Thorin’s eyes as he followed Thorin’s breathing, until finally after a minute his own breathing was even and calm again. When it was, he reluctantly pulled his hand free and stepped back. Thorin watched him, concerned, and Bilbo self consciously rubbed the back of his neck.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

Thorin nodded at him then said, “I understand. Most people have months to come to terms with being a parent. You’ve had less than one. It’s going to take some time.”

Bilbo bit his lip and ducked his head, looking at the floor. “Maybe I should call a counselor.”

Thorin nodded and opened his mouth to reply, but the door that led to the exam rooms opened before he could. A nurse stepped through and called for Frodo. Thorin smiled down at Bilbo and slowly handed Frodo to him. To Bilbo’s surprise, his nephew didn’t start screaming when Thorin pulled his hair out of Frodo’s tiny fists. Thorin patted Frodo’s back one last time and then reached around Bilbo to grab his diaper bag. He held it out for Bilbo to take. Bilbo slung the strap over his shoulder and after saying quick goodbyes to the two boys and thanking Thorin again, he hurried towards the nurse. Only to be brought up short when Thorin loudly said, “You never told me your name!”

Bilbo stopped a couple feet from the door, turned around, and before he could think about it, said, “It’s Bilbo.” Then he hurried through the door and leaned against the wall as the nurse shut it behind him. He ignored her knowing smile and asked which room they were in. After being led to the exam room and getting Frodo through the triage procedures, Bilbo was left alone to wait for the doctor. Frodo had cried during triage but calmed down soon afterwards. Bilbo pulled out the bottle and wanted to shout with joy when Frodo hungrily latched onto it. Instead, he grinned and relaxed on the exam table. Leaning against the wall, he quietly said, “Yeah, his presence does seem to have lasting effects.”

Frodo didn’t respond, besides some happy gurgling in between sucking noises. Realizing he hadn’t had breakfast, Bilbo rifled through the diaper bag for one of the oatmeal bars he kept in there. When his hand brushed against a piece of paper he didn’t recognize, he frowned and pulled it out. It was a small piece of paper, unevenly folded up, and when he unfolded it, he found a message and Thorin’s name and a phone number written in childish handwriting. Bilbo burst out laughing when he read “Fili and Kili” under the phone number. He leaned his head back against the wall, and he still had a small smile on his face when the doctor came in minutes later.


End file.
